Mesothelioma Cancer Information Article

a cancerous tumor occurring in the lining of the lungs and chest cavity, often associated with exposure to asbestos dust

Mesothelioma: Treatments for Mesothelioma Cancer
By Hector Milla
Mesothelioma cancer is currently treated through three treatments, depending on the cancer location, the disease stage, and the patient's general health and age. These treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which sometimes are combined to fight the disease in so far as possible.

In a surgery, one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma, the doctor removes part of the lining of the abdomen or the chest and some tissue around it. In a pneumonectomy, the doctor may also remove one lung when the patient has pleural or cancer of the pleura. In other surgical procedure, the doctor may also remove part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing.
Through these procedures, the medical specialist shall try to excise tumourous tissue arising from this cancer disease. As these operations will reduce the patient's respiratory capacity, the surgeon will evaluate the patient's ability to function after a lung tissue removal, before performing a pneumonectomy.
Another method to fight Mesothelioma is chemotherapy or the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. These drugs are given to the patient by an intravenous procedure, an injection into a vein. Currently, experts are studying the effectiveness of intracavitary chemotherapy or the possibility of giving chemotherapy straight to the chest or abdomen.

Radiotherapy or radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays to destroy malignant cells and shrink tumors. It is important to know that this medical procedure attacks the cancer cells only in the treated area. There are two ways of giving this therapy. One, external radiation, in which the radiation comes from a machine, and other, internal radiation, where the cancer cells are found after putting materials that produce radiation into the affected area.
Doctor's way to relieve patient's pain is to use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the abdominal or chest cavities through a procedure called thoracentesis, when it is from the chest, and paracentesis, when the removal is from the abdomen. The specialists may also give the drugs through a tube in the chest to prevent the accumulation of more liquid.

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What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women. What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. How common is mesothelioma? Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Additional Related Resources
Treatments and Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma By Jill Kane For years, chemotherapy has been used as treatment for mesothelioma to shrink tumors. More recently, doctors have used surgery in combination with chemotherapy with more success.In Read more...	Mesothelioma - an asbestos related lung cancer By Jill Kane What is Mesothelioma?Mesothelioma is a form of cancer located in the lining of either the lungs, abdomen or the heart. These linings are thin layers of tissue covering the organ. r Read more...	Treatment For Mesothelioma By Chris Jack Mesothelioma is a kind of permanent cancer disease. Mesothelioma cancer occurs when tissues of our lungs or abdominal components get affected. In more cases asbestos exposure was identified as the Read more...	Mesothelioma: New treatments for Mesothelioma cancer By Hector Milla There are more treatment possibilities for Mesothelioma cancer than surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy: the clinical trials. They offer no only benefits, but also risks that cancer patients Read more...

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Mesothelioma - Asbestos Cancer & Litigation Information updated Thu Apr 5 2007 8:44 pm CDT
Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest diseases known to man; the average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months. Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable; the only known cause is via exposure to the deadly mineral Asbestos. It comes from inhaling the particles of dust as the asbestos degrades; eating away at the lining of your lungs and developing into a deadly cancer. This lens is designed to both provide information on the terrible disease, and also make sufferers and their families aware of their legal options. Many employers and the manufacturers of asbestos knew about the dangers when they exposed employees to this material. Large asbestos cancer settlements, while little comfort to those affected, have become increasingly common in the last few years.